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PhD Programs Without the Master's

By Christa Kerley

Some universities offer B.S. to Ph.D. programs.

There are numerous U.S. universities that offer doctoral programs to exceptional students that do not possess a master’s degree. A good number of universities will award master’s degrees while a student is in a post-bachelor’s degree to doctorate degree program, after the required amount of coursework has been completed. Some programs have stipulations. For example, the University of South Florida College of Nursing requires its students be licensed registered nurses and pass an interview.

University of Texas at Austin: Cockrell School of Engineering

The Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas has a Bachelor of Science to Ph.D. degree program in petroleum engineering. There are 12 courses equaling three hours each that are required for this program, nine of which must be taken from the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering as graduate courses. Students are required to pass the Graduate Record Examinations prior to admittance, a written examination after completing one semester of the Ph.D. program and pass an oral examination after passing the written. After three years in the program, and prior to completing the Ph.D., students qualify to receive a non-thesis Master of Science degree.

University of Texas at Austin Cockrell School of Engineering 1 University Station CO304 Austin, TX 78712 512-471-7234 cpge.utexas.edu

University of South Florida College of Nursing

The University of South Florida College of Nursing, located in Tampa, Florida, has a Bachelor of Science to Ph.D. degree program in nursing. The program requires that the student have a bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited college, pass an admissions interview, and pass the Graduate Record Examinations prior to admittance. Students must also be a Licensed Vocational Nurse in Florida, submit a letter of intent with the application, and have a bachelor’s level cumulative grade point average of 3.0. The USF College of Nursing only accepts students to the B.S. to Ph.D. program for the fall semester each year.

Purdue University: School of Nuclear Engineering

Purdue University’s School of Nuclear Engineering is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and has a B.S. to Ph.D. program called the direct Ph.D. program. Students must pass an examination to qualify for the program, and an interview. Entrance into the program is based on the student’s academic records and the advisor’s recommendations. Engineering students may receive a non-thesis Master of Science degree after submitting a letter of intent prior to the Ph.D. preliminary examination. Preliminary examinations are normally taken in the last two semesters of the program.

Purdue University School of Nuclear Engineering 400 Central Drive West Lafayette, IN 47907 765-494-5739 engineering.purdue.edu

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About the Author

Christa Kerley has a B.A. in anthropology with emphasis in archaeology. She also has certificates in geographic information systems and cultural resource management. Kerley was author and distributor of a nonfiction newsletter for several years, and has worked since 1997 as a freelance copywriter and research writer. Some of Kerley's published works can be viewed at eHow, Bukisa, Suddenlyslim.net, Answerbag, and Pluck on Demand.